Do you have an article about this? Or some numbers to back it up? I'm not doubting you, I'd just like to read about it.

Pessimism aside, it's a great thing to do, especially when you have more money than you can reasonably spend.


This one comes to mind ... www.invisiblechildren.com/kony/

sad that you REALLY need to research a chairity.

the Suzan G. Komen foundation (responsible for all the pink NFL games) only puts $0.20 of every dollar toward research.

11% goes to employee salarys, which may not sound like much but last year they made nearly 400 million.


I may be wearing my tinfoil hat here, but there are ALOT better places I'd rather put my money.

All one has to do is just look at the American Red Cross history. This is not new news.

One of the things I found so disturbing is it has being going on for almost forever.

Google "WWII+VETERENS+RED CROSS+ANGER"

The Red Cross trains young men and women to be life guards, but they charge these kids for profit for the training. They charge more for the same certification that many private companies do and private companies give the kids better training to be a life guard.

Minor disasters are the Red Cross expertise. Take the three or four year floods in places like North Dakota. The Red Cross has a $40,000 dollar canteen vehicle set up "Selling" hot coffee for fifty cents a cup. While down the road the Salvation Army has a tent set up in a puddle giving out FREE hot coffee, FREE oranges, Free bottled water, and FREE donated blankets and clothing.

Sorry.. I am ranting.

RP also knows about leadership, getting the most out of yourself, and expecting results as well as anyone. It's the last of the 3 that would really get under his skin.

I can see him being really pissed off if he gave $100 to what he thought would be a good cause and finding that $95 went to bureaucracy and $5 went to the cause when he could have given the $100 straight to the cause.

The sad irony of it all.. we can't trust the government which is supposed to be there to serve we the people. We can't trust the non profits, because of the red tape and the cost of the overhead they have in place or supposedly has in place. We know the for profit companies are going to try and maximize profits at all costs.

Even if we want to truly help through a gift of money, there are very few avenues that are effective.

And we wonder why we are all cynical in nature...

The only time we know that are intentions are fulfilled is if we hand the money directly to our intended target. Even then we are probably going to weigh judgement upon how that target utilizes those gifts. :)

It all comes back to that powerful cardinal sin.. GREED.

One thing that needs to be looked at, is that most of the times when issues are brought up about this or that charity and where the money actually goes. It is being brought up and looked into by another group who wants the money to go through them instead of the Red Cross or other organization. No doubt the Red Cross has gotten to big for its own good. But no matter the organization, there is cost to what they do. It is easy for smaller and local charities to have lower overhead, but when you are dealing around the world, it costs.

I would like to see those in charge of them all making more reasonable salary, but just like a business you get what you pay for. Is it better to pay someboyd 100K who brings in 2 million in donations or somebody a million who brings in 100million in donation?